Billing confusion re: Triple Play, Wireless and bait-and-switch
KMcD
Newbie

I wish that the last 45 minutes I spent on the telephone with three--three!--people in Verion's billing department could be played to everyone in Verizon's customer support.  It might give some sense of what it's like--what it's always like--to deal with Verizon.

Back in October I was induced by the offer of Triple Play to move my wireless, landline and online access to Verizon.  When I closed the deal I asked the rep what my monthly bill would be, all in including taxes and fees.  $110, she said.

So may first bill comes a month later and its $268.  Baffled, I phoned the support number listed on the bill.  Seemed like a sensible thing to do.  But the person on that end couldn't see the wireless portion of the bill.   observed htat  that as the customer I only wanted what I was promised--one bill--and that I only wrote one check to Verizon it wasn't my problem that Verizon had organized itself into wireless and everything else.  This made her impatient.  She moved me over to the Wireless people, who could see the wireless portion of my bill.  Except that it didn't correspond to anything on the bill Verizon had sent.  So she said call Residential.  But residential sent me to you, I noted.  Nevertheless, she insisted.  And I insisted that she stay with me on the call.

Eventually we got through, and the confusion about wireless versus the rest of Verizon started again.  Finally the residential person figured out that, given the way Triple Play is calculated, my monthly bill should indeed be $110.  Except when wirless is added.  But wireless is included in Triple Play, I pointed out.  "It is and it isn't," she replied.  Literally that's what she said, "It is and it isn't."

After much go round, the two reps made it clear to my simple mind that, yes Triple Play is $110.  But no, not in my wildest dreams would that ever be what I pay every month.

I  was induced to bring all my communication services to Verizon by the offer of FIOS received in the mail--odd since when I called about it I was told FIOS wasn't yet offered in my area.  So why send me a letter?  Verizon did have a deal with Direct TV and the all in price, I was told, would be about the same as it would be if Verizon was the provided.  Guess what?  It's not.

And now this morning's frustration.  If it weren't for Verizon wireless' superior coverage I'd be gone.  As it is, I'm calling Cablevision.

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Re: Billing confusion re: Triple Play, Wireless and bait-and-switch
astro_guy
Enthusiast - Level 3

Triple play includes the televisions, phones and internet connection hosted by the fiber coming into your home.  It doesn't, at least to the best of my knowledge, include any wireless internet or mobile services remote from your home.  Maybe, just maybe the Verizon sales person you deal with thought that you were talking about wireless access via the router within your home.

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Re: Billing confusion re: Triple Play, Wireless and bait-and-switch
viafax999
Community Leader
Community Leader

It includes WIFI

This will allow you load the wirless client onto your laptop and connect at Verizon hotspots in airports, Starbucks etc.

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Re: Billing confusion re: Triple Play, Wireless and bait-and-switch
astro_guy
Enthusiast - Level 3

Hey viafax, I see that you are right!  I just checked on this with my own home bundle and see that it is included.  Re-reading the original post, one has to wonder if the customer wasn't expecting his or her mobile phone to be covered in that $110/mo. offer.  That would be quite a deal.  Since I have yet to use the WIFI service, the only Verizon wireless charges on my bill are for mobile phones.  How does Verizon break down the billing for mobile phone vs. WIFI services anyway? 

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Re: Billing confusion re: Triple Play, Wireless and bait-and-switch
viafax999
Community Leader
Community Leader

@astro_guy wrote:

Re-reading the original post, one has to wonder if the customer wasn't expecting his or her mobile phone to be covered in that $110/mo. offer.  That would be quite a deal. 


I'm sure they did.

I don't think any charge will show on your bill.  Your userid and password will get you logged on as a FiOS client at any of the hotspots, the same way that the AT&T member account Starbucks card provides allow you to log onto AT&T hotspots - I never see any billing from them.

VZ says that Starbucks locations have VZ hotspots though I have never seen any indication of this.  I typically use an Ipod Touch with the AT&T account, with the addition of the Iphone Skype app and headphones with a microphone it makes quite a decent cheap phone.  Would be nice if the VZ offering didn't demand the fat client overhead.

Re: Billing confusion re: Triple Play, Wireless and bait-and-switch
spacedebris
Master - Level 2

The wifi is actually part of the FIOS internet service. As long as you have the plan for 20/5 or greater, the wifi is included for free. It actually doesnt get broken down on the bill as it is not something that you can actually purchase all by itself.

I think the confusion in this is that "Triple Play" referes to Home Phone, Internet, and TV. Unfortunatly it doesnt just mean 3 services, it actually is specifically the phone (home), internet (dsl or fios), and TV (fios or Direct tv) only.

"ONE BILL" is the feature that combines your "Triple Play" and "Wireless" services all onto one bill.

And then if you have the Cellular Internet, thats another service all together and adds another wrinkle.

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